Pay For College Tuition By … Eating Out??

by Ted JenkinNovember 28, 2013

In the last month, you’ve seen oXYGen Financial help give you tips on buying wine, brunch deals, getting social, and much more on Atlanta Eats. As you read the blog each week, we will continue to help you with money saving strategies and other unique dining out articles. By saving money each month, if you apply those savings toward retirement, your kid’s college education, or reducing your mortgage, you’ll really put yourself in a unique position to achieve your financial goals. Here are four different programs that can be really effective to help your cut down your eating out expenses.

The Dining Out Card – The dining out card is unique in nature because it allows you to get 25% off your alcohol and food bill for participating restaurants. Many card programs only allow you to get a discount on food only. The card is accepted in over a half a dozen cities and now has Atlanta on the list with over 150 restaurants already and growing. The annual fee is $125.

Open Table– Open Table is a free program that allows you to build up a point reward system when you book your dining out experience through their system. Once you complete your reservation, points will be awarded to your account within seven days including bonus points. Once you have built up enough points (2,000), you can begin earning a dining cheque for cash to be used at the restaurant of your choice.

idine– idine is another free online dining reward program website. The first key to the website is that you register one single credit card or debit card. There are over 10,000 participating restaurants around the country. Every time you use your registered card at participating restaurant, somewhere between a 5% and 15% benefit will placed in your account. Rewards will keep adding up and you will receive an American Express gift card in the future.

MOGL – If you aren’t interested or worried about saving a buck or two every time you go out to eat, you might want to consider signing up for MOGL to help fight hunger around the United States. Once you link your favorite debit card or credit card, 10% of each bill will be placed into an account (from participating restaurants) where you can determine the food bank of your choice to donate the funds.

There are literally hundreds of different dining programs that you can sign up for locally and around the country. How about saving money by getting our year end tax tips brochure? Go to www.oxygenfinancial.net and breathe easier® about life!

Ted Jenkin, CFP® is co-CEO of oXYGen Financial and is a top ranked personal finance blogger. He is a regular contributor to Investment News, The Wall Street Journal, and The Atlanta Journal Constitution.

TED JENKIN IS SECURITIES LICENSED THROUGH INVESTACORP, INC. A REGISTERED BROKER/DEALER MEMBER FINRA, SIPC. ADVISORY SERVICES OFFERED THROUGH INVESTACORP ADVISORY SERVICES, INC. A SEC REGISTERED INVESTMENT ADVISORY FIRM. Linked sites are strictly provided as a courtesy. Investacorp, Inc., and its affiliates, do not guarantee, approve nor endorse the information or products available at these sites nor do links indicate any association with or endorsement of the linked sites by Investacorp, Inc. and its affiliates.

About the Author

Ted Jenkin has spent the past 21 years giving personal financial advice to thousands of people across the United States. After graduating from Boston College in 1991, Ted spent more than 16 years working for American Express Financial Advisors/Ameriprise Financial.